Hope and closeness: Inga Thom connects the seafarers in Cuxhaven!

Hope and closeness: Inga Thom connects the seafarers in Cuxhaven!

Inga Thom, a committed employee of the Seemanns mission Cuxhaven, ensures that seafarers are not alone on board the ships in the port. On a warm summer day she visits the crew of the chemistry Corelli, where the ship cooking baked delicious cinnamon snacks. Thom, who has been working in this position for three years, not only offers the seafarers an open ear for their concerns, but also practical help such as SIM cards for contact with their families. A new internet router enables the crew to make an unlimited video call with their loved ones-a little ray of hope for those who are often at sea for months.

The sailor mission, founded in 1886, is an important contact for the seafarers and offers support at 33 locations in Germany and in 15 other countries worldwide. While Thom meets with seafarers from the whole globe, she accompanies her on a tour of the part of the BBC Coral, where she exchanges with the officers. During her engagement, Thom made over 1,700 visits to the board last year and had 4,900 encounters with seafarers. Their work is an indispensable part of life in the port, where people from different cultures meet and support each other, as reports www.merkur.de .